1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to kitchen utensils, more particularly, this invention relates to a combination utensil for cooking.
2. Background Art
When cooking, it is convenient to have several utensils readily available. A fork is handy for moving cooking meat, for piercing and checking the middle of meat to see how well done it is, as well as for lifting an edge of the meat to gauge how done the underside of the meat is. A spatula is handy for turning or flipping meat and other food items. A spoon is handy for stirring soups and stews, for example. And, a tongs is handy for lifting hot food, and for lifting and moving hot pots and pans. This poses a problem in that there is usually no convenient place to store several utensils at or near the stove, and one must continually switch back and forth among the different utensils. An additional problem is the searing heat one must endure when one has to place their hand directly over the hot stove or on hot pots and pans when lifting or moving them.
EMORY, U.S. Pat. No. 1,089,118, teaches a combined spatula and fork apparatus for turning pancakes and the like. This device is relatively complex in both construction and use when compared to either a spatula or fork and, consequently, is more expensive to manufacture. In use, one must activate a control rod to change the configuration of the device from a spatula to a fork and vice versa.
What is needed is a simple combination kitchen utensil which will perform the functions of a fork, a spatula, a spoon and a tongs. Furthermore, what is needed is a combination cooking utensil for use on a hot stove. Accordingly, some of the objects of this invention are to provide a simple utensil which is a combination fork, spatula, stir-spoon and lifting tongs.